The government’s new Disability Action Plan outlines proposals that aim to help businesses understand the requirements of disabled individuals in accessing products and services and bolstering resilience and emergency preparedness.
The Disability Action Plan also encompasses initiatives to facilitate increased access to local playgrounds for disabled children and to provide enhanced support for guide dog users.
Within its framework, the government has set out 32 tangible measures to establish the UK as a global leader in accessibility for disabled individuals in their daily lives and workplaces.
It outlines strategies to integrate the needs of disabled individuals into resilience planning, thereby enhancing preparedness for emergencies, including substantial disruptions to national infrastructure such as significant power outages and pandemics.
The government emphasised that these plans have been shaped by input from over 1,300 disabled individuals, their families, and stakeholders.
Specific framework actions include:
- A new fund to support disabled people who want to be elected to public office
- building an online information hub for local authorities on creating accessible playgrounds
- A new working group to educate businesses on the legal rights of assistance dog owners and make it simpler to report when they are refused access to a business
- Leading new research into emerging issues affecting disabled people in the UK over the next 20 years.
Minister for Disabled People, Health and Work, Mims Davies MP, said:
“We are building on this government’s solid track record of supporting and delivering for disabled people by using their key feedback to deliver vital, everyday changes to their lives and we have listened to their asks and are truly determined to deliver on them.
This new wide-ranging plan means disabled children can rightly enjoy the fun of the playground, disabled customers can use the services they’re entitled to, and businesses who break laws around assistance dogs will be firmly held to account, amongst other impactful changes.
I look forward to seeing the immediate impact of the Disability Action Plan while we deliver on long-term reforms to make this country the most accessible and, importantly, equal place to live in the world – so everyone can live their lives to the full and thrive.”
The government also highlighted that the consultation also explored the concept of introducing a Disability Enabled Badge. This badge would be awarded to businesses that provide disability awareness training to their staff as part of a voluntary initiative funded by participating businesses and services.
Further Information
The Disability Action Plan sits alongside the National Disability Strategy, which outlines the government’s long-term vision for transforming the lives of disabled people for the better, and other long-term work such as:
- employment and welfare reforms announced in DWP’s ‘Transforming Support: Health and Disability’ White Paper
- improving health and social care through the ‘People at the Heart of Care’ White Paper
- ensuring all public services and information are accessible to people who use British Sign Language (BSL) through the BSL Act
The 12-week consultation to support the Disability Action Plan was highly accessible with alternative formats, including BSL translation, easy read, large print, Braille and audio CD.
References:
https://www.facilitatemagazine.com/2024/02/06/government-plans-make-uk-most-accessible-place-world
